Excavating – Ditcher – Having endless digger
Reexamination Certificate
2003-04-22
2004-10-19
Will, Thomas B. (Department: 3671)
Excavating
Ditcher
Having endless digger
C037S465000, C037S408000, C037S410000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06804903
ABSTRACT:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to machines for excavating soils as necessary in construction projects. More specifically it relates to a machine that is adapted specifically for long narrow trenches and at the same time for more general excavations.
Long narrow trenches are required for installation of many utilities including water and sewer, gas, electrical power, and cable for communications. These utilities are often installed using machines known as trenchers, one example is illustrated in
FIG. 1. A
trencher
10
includes a trenching boom
40
, with a boom frame
42
that supports an excavation chain
44
routed around and supported by end idler
46
. The trenching boom
10
is mounted to a mobile chassis
12
capable of propelling the boom through the ground while the boom is lowered into the ground such that the end idler
46
is in a position to excavate to the desired depth. There are two basic types of chassis, a track chassis and a rubber tire chassis.
FIG. 1
illustrates a rubber tire chassis, and that type of trencher is thus known as a rubber tire trencher.
Rubber tire trenchers have an advantage over track trenchers in that they are less disruptive to the ground. Thus, they are utilized in applications where maintaining the ground is important, such as when trenching through established yards. In this application the needed excavation varies widely. Thus, rubber tire trenchers typically include a variety of excavating attachments and can include a vibrating gearbox and mount for a plow on the rear of the machine beside the trenching boom, not shown, while including a backhoe
20
and blade
30
attached to the front of the rubber tire trencher
10
.
While the rubber tire trencher offers great flexibility, its capability for general excavation with the backhoe
20
is somewhat limited by the chassis. The backhoe can be positioned around its pivot axis
22
while being controlled by an operator positioned in operator station
14
. Any additional movement of the backhoe requires movement of the entire chassis.
Different machines have been developed for general excavation, and are generally known as Excavators, an example being a compact excavator
110
as illustrated in FIG.
2
. The compact excavator
110
has evolved to include two basic parts, an undercarriage or chassis
112
and turret/turntable
116
. The undercarriage
112
includes the chassis and typically tracks. It supports the turret/turntable
116
and typically also supports a backfill blade
130
, which is positioned with cylinder
132
.
The upper structure, turret or turntable
116
includes the power unit, typically a diesel engine and hydraulic system, the operator's station
114
, and a backhoe
120
mounted on a pivot
122
. There is no limitation of the rotation of the turntable, it is able to rotate fully, mounted to the undercarriage
112
at the swivel joint, supported by a slew bearing. The swivel joint supports the turret
116
and further provides a valve to provide a flow path for oil to be transferred from the pump, a component of the power unit, to the track drive motors and cylinder that positions the backfill blade
130
. This valve is constructed to allow the turret to rotate freely.
The operator's station
114
is mounted on the turret
116
, and the pivot for the backhoe
122
is positioned directly in front of the operator's station. This arrangement provides good visibility of the backhoe
120
, and provides for flexibility in applications. Examples of this flexibility are illustrated in
FIG. 3
where the excavator
110
is shown digging near to an existing wall
2
. In these illustrations it can be seen how the chassis
112
can be positioned near the wall
2
, the turret
116
rotated such that the backhoe pivot
122
is adjacent the wall, and the backhoe
120
positioned parallel to the wall. As positioned, the bucket can scoop in a direction parallel to the wall to form trench
4
. Once the bucket is full it can be lifted, and the backhoe
120
rotated in order to position the backhoe and bucket to a second position
120
a
, away from the wall, to drop the excavated material in a pile or into a truck.
Excavators have become a preferred arrangement for general excavation. However, when a job involves specifically forming a trench of a specific depth and width, this arrangement is not as productive as the trenching boom described earlier as a part of the rubber tire trencher, particularly when the trench is narrow.
FIG. 4
illustrates the use of a compact excavator
110
, positioned in four different locations
110
a
,
110
d
,
110
c
, and
110
d
, as would be necessary to dig a trench. The compact excavator is operated in the first position
110
a
, while the backhoe
120
is utilized to dig a first section of the trench. After completion, the chassis is moved to a second position
110
b
, and the trench extended. This process is repeated
110
c
, and
110
d
until the trench is the desired length. This process requires a substantial amount of operator involvement.
By contrast, the rubber tire trencher is illustrated in
FIG. 1
will require less operator involvement. This involvement includes first controlling the trenching boom
40
during a plunge-cut, as the boom is rotated clockwise to move the end idler
46
from a position above the ground, to a position where a trench of the desired depth is being formed. Subsequent operator control then involves adjusting the ground speed of the rubber tire trencher
10
to match the excavation capacity of the trenching boom
40
.
Trenchers have not previously been installed onto compact excavators.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a modification to a compact excavator by adding an optional component, a chain trencher.
A broad object of the present invention is to provide an excavator with a trencher.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an excavator with a trencher in a way that will automatically prevent a backhoe portion of the excavator from coming in contact with the trencher.
Still another object of the invention is to employ such an excavator with a trencher in a way that will automatically prevent a backhoe portion of the excavator from coming in contact with the trencher, but also use a mounting structure for the backhoe which allows the backhoe to move around 360 degrees once the mounting structure and trencher is removed.
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3042236 (1962-07-01), Pilch
patent: 3099098 (1963-07-01), Davis
patent: 3603010 (1971-09-01), Polinek
patent: 3710472 (1973-01-01), Gremillion et al.
patent: 3911602 (1975-10-01), Trevathan
patent: 4222186 (1980-09-01), Molby
patent: 4526425 (1985-07-01), Schroeder
patent: 5237888 (1993-08-01), McCombs
patent: 5970634 (1999-10-01), Dann et al.
patent: 6351900 (2002-03-01), DeWind
patent: 55-52439 (1980-04-01), None
patent: 56-73732 (1981-06-01), None
patent: 6121239 (1986-01-01), None
Beach Thomas A
Sturm & Fix LLP
Vermeer Manufacturing Company
Will Thomas B.
LandOfFree
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